Frequently Asked Questions in IELTS!

Can I paraphrase using synonyms?

In the introduction of the essay, you have to mention the question. Repeating the questions as it is will not fetch you any extra marks. You are judged on the basis of your ability to use synonyms and avoid copying.

Example question – Countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world.

Example paraphrasing – Similarity amongst the nations is increasing, thanks to the availability of similar products throughout the world.

How do I know how many words I have written in the exam?

Keeping the track of the word count in the test will be very difficult, due to the limited time. Students are advised to practice by writing on the exact pattern answer sheet which is provided in the test and is available for download. Print these answer sheets and practice so that you get an idea of how many words in your handwriting fit into these sheets and how many sheets you use for the required word limit.

How are the words counted?

Words with hyphens, like ice cream, hands-on, first-class, are counted as one word only. Contractions like They’re, I’ll, aren’t being counted as one. You are not advised to use the contractions.

Articles (a, an, the) are considered in the word count.

Can I repeat the sentence/words?

Sometimes repetitions seem inappropriate. Instead, changing the structure of the same sentence or paraphrasing it will create a good impression on the examiner. In many cases, you might not get the idea about the synonyms of some words, like – students, children, education. In this case, it would not be suitable to use the synonyms as they may change the meaning of the word in context. For example, it is wrong to use words like toddlers, infants, prodigies, juveniles, lads for synonyms of students. And for sentences, try changing the simple sentence into a compound sentence.

Will writing more words get me good marks?

No, this is a bad idea.

Both the writing tasks have a time slot for a reason. And though these tasks do not have any upper word limit, you are expected to write a precise yet concise response for both.

Academic writing task 1 asks you to summarise the data given to you, so writing extra words for it would just increase the redundancy in your essay, and would lead to weaker task achievement.

Word limits for writing tasks are designed in a way to get a sufficient amount of information on the relevant topic, and in order to reduce repetition. If you are beating about the bush and writing 350-400 words, that means you need to think more cogently and efficiently.

For other tips and tricks and to find out the IELTS exam pattern and other frequently asked questions.